Knife



' March 30 1926.

E. L. MCCAIN KNIFE,

Filed Feb. 18. 1924 INVENTOR.

Ellsworth LNCuJ ATTORNEY.

Patentedh'lar. 30, 1Q26.

UNITED rare NT'IOFFICB:

ELLSWORTH L. MeCAIN, or ron'rnorr, iiIcHIGAn.

3mm. I

Application filed llebruary 18, 1924. Serial No. 69 3, 538

To all whom itvnag/bohcem:

Be it knowirthat I, Enhswonrrr LlVIo- CAIN, a. citizen otthe United States, residing at Detroit, in the county or" Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Knife, oiwhic-h the following is a specification.

Hy invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a knife especially adapted for use by surgeons, or those whose needs require a verysharp scalpel or knife and has asits object the provision of a knife of this class so constructed as to permit the ready removaland replacement of the blade.

Another object of the inventionis the provision of a knife having a handle provided for engaging andretaining in position a removable blade, and having the edge of the shank of the blade tree from' engagement with the handle. K

Another object or" the invention is theprovision of a knife of thisclass having the shank of the blade lying in the samejlongi- .tudinal plane as the body of the blade.

Another object ofthe' invention is the pro vision. of an outwardly projecting reenforcing'inember adapted forllying along one side of the blade for reenfor ing the same, and having another reenter-c ing men1berly-' ing along the other side of the blade for p r reenrorcing the same, said second mentioned reenforcing member being movable relatively to the blade adjacent one? end. Other objects will appear hereinafterQ The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

' Figqd is a sectional view taken on substantially line 4li of Flg. 1. I v

The invention in its preferred form co n prises a knife handle 7 having a forwardly extending reduced portion 8 adapted for reenfo-rcing the blade usedwith the handle,

this portion being adapted to lie along the blade so as toengage the blade in its entire WlCltlliOI a portion of its length, and extending the remaining portion along the upper edge of the blade. A shoulder 9'is formed at the point of juncture or the reduced portion with the main body of the handle. ,Rivets 10 and 11 serve to-bind an additional reenforc-ing member 12 to thereduced portion of the handle, this additional reentorcing member beingof similar shape anddesign as the reduced portion 8, and terminating at its outer end atthe point er termination of the portion 8. This member I 12 is held in-spaced relation'to the'reduced portion 8 to permit the passage ofthe blade between them; The member is free atfitsrear end, and yieldable enoughxto permit its being liftedto a greater spaced relation'at this end to the portion 8. 1

Mounted in the portion 8,- torwardlyof the shoulder 9 is a stud 14 which projects slightly above the surface ofthe portion8 and which is adapted to sea-tin a pocket 14 formed inthe free end13 of the member 12. I

The blade used withithe handle comprises a mainbody portion 15 having a slot formed in the upper edge thereof adjacent the 'for,

ward end, said slot 16, being inclined toward 7 Another slotfl"? is *formed toward the rear oftheblade, atit's iuppe-redge, this slot 17 beingiof less depth 'than the slot 16 and being inclined toward the forwardendof the knife blade- Formed the shank of the knife.

on the blade adjacent its rear endis anopen- 'f ing l4t in which the stud '14:v is'adapted to project when the blade is" mounted on the handle. Adjacent the rear end of the blade i is formed'a slot"l8 in "which the "finger nail may engage for assisting in the reinovalflof the blade.

positioned opposite to the" slot 18 when the bladeis mounted on the handle.

In mounting the f blade 'onIthe- 'handle, tlietorward portion ofthe'blade is'placed between the members 8 jand l2, so as to bringv the rivet 11 into engagement Wlljll. the

The reen fo-rcing member l is provided with an enlargement 19'wh1ch is slot 16. The blade, is then .swung. until the rivet 10 is positioned in the slot 17 At the same time the opening 14:" is brought into position where the stud 14' mayxpro ject therethrough and engage in thepoeket 14, thus securely locking the blade agamst a swinging movement. The s1ots 16 and 17 being oppositely inelinedcpreventthe swinging of the bladeoutwardly from the handle on the shank of the blade as'a center, so

that the only way to removethe blade from; v I

v shape or design of the blade has nothing 7 mit its removal. In raising the portion 13 clear of the stud 14 the finger nail may be engaged in the slot 18 and against the enlargement 19, so that as soon as the clear: ance' desired is obtained, theblade will be engaged for the swinging-movement.

Itwill 'be noted that the blade is reenforcedthroughout.the major portion of its length,vand that it lies flat throughout its length, whenin operative position on the handle) It also is to be noted that the por tion 13' does not engage against the shoulder 9, as a certain clearance. is necessary to permit theflrai'sing of the portion :13. For the same reason the blade does not engage against the shoulder 9; V

The particular type of blade shown in the drawings is but one of many designs used in surgery and itis clear that the to do with the voperation of the invention so long as the features pointed out are present. With a handle as constructed it is apparent that a great rigidity is. given the knife because of the lengthy reenforce- I ment of the'blade. WVhen it ispdesired to use the handlefa clean and sharp blade may be readily inserted in the handle and locked The handle is so constructed that a cleaning or disinfection of the same may be readily attained, I

' being adjacent the forward end of the blade 1 and inclined'toward the rear thereof, and the other of said slots being adjacent the thereon ready for use.

through, boiling or the use of creosote or in any other desirable manner. 7

'VWhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of structure I do'not d wish to limit myself to the precise details of construction set forth but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications ascome within'the scope of the appended c1aims.-

Having thus described" my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

. 1. A knife of the class described comprising a :handle; a reenforcing member projectlng therefrom 'and' integral therewith; a secondireenfo'rcing member, extending'alon'gand spaced from said first mened for use with said handle, having a pair of slots formed in the upper edge thereof,

one of said slots being inclined toward the rear of the blade and the other being inclined toward the front of said blade for the reception of said attaching means; and means adapted for projecting through an opening formed in said blade adjacent the rear thereof, for locking said blade in position on said handle. 3. A knife of the class described compris -ing a handle; a reenforcing member pro ectmg from sald handle; a second reenforcing member extending along and spaced from said first mentioned reenforcing member, said second mentioned reenforcing member having j a pocket formed in the;inner surface'adjacent the rear end; means for attaching. said members together; a separable blade adapted'for' use with said handle, having a pair of slots formed in its upper edge, one "ofsaid slots rear of said blade and inclined toward the, front thereof, said slots being adapted for the reception of said attaching means, and said blade being provided with an opening formed therein adjacent the rear end there- ELLSWOBTH McCAIN. 

